External tank patch



Oct. 2, 1956 H. J. vlcK EXTERNAL TANK PATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed001'.. 8. 1954 JNVENTOR. Hom er j V/ck Oct. 2, 1956 H. J. vlCK EXTERNALTANK PATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed oct. 8. 19,54

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United States Patent C EXTERNAL TANK PATCH Homer J. Vick, Lockhart, Tex.

Application October 8, 1954, Serial No. 461,137

3 Claims. (Cl. 2211-24) The present invention relates to externalpatches for tanks formed from sheets of metal With the side walls andend plates connected by a chime structure.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a patch for acircular, square, or oval tank which has its side walls and end platesjoined by an outwardly projecting structure known as a chime.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide an external patchwhich has one leg to be fastened to the chime structure and with theother leg forced into abutting leakproof relation with the side wall ofa tank to stop a leak in the side wall.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a patchstructure of simple and sturdy construction, and one which may be easilyasembled and installed on the chime structure of a tank, and one whichmay be manufactured in many sizes for application to tanks of varioussizes and shapes.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in connectionwith the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the present invention secured tothe chime structure of a tank, showing the tank side wall and end platein cross section.

Figure 2 is a front View in elevation of the present invention inassembled condition,

Figure 3 is a top plan view,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the plate member portion of the presentinvention,

Figure 5 is a top plan view ofthe L-shaped member and Figure 6 is a planview of the end plate of a tank in unassembled condition.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, the present inventionis seen to consist of a patch formed from an L-shaped member 10 having avertically extending one leg 11 in abutting leakproof relation withrespect to the side Wall 12 of a tank indicated by the reference numeral13 in Figure l.

As shown in Figure l, the tank 13 .is illustrated as being of squareconstruction for the purpose of simplifying the description andillustration of the present invention. In use, however, the presentinvention may be applied to square, round, or oval tanks of anydimension and the one leg 11 of the present invention may be curved toconformably t over the side wall of a tank on which it is to be used.

The tanks on which this invention may be used are all vformed with achime structure indicated generally by the l"with a plurality of slottedholes or apertures 16 arranged in spaced relation extending along andadjacent the end contiguous to said one leg 11 and with spaced slottedholes or apertures 16a extending along and adjacent the end remcsatefrom said one leg 11, as seen most clearly in Figure A plate member 17is assembled in confronting face to face relation with respect to theleg 15 and is, in turn, provided with a plurality of apertures 18extending along and adjacent the end contiguous to said one leg 11 ofthe L-shaped member 10 and with a pair of spaced apertures 19 extendingalong and adjacent the end remote from the leg 11 of the L-shapedmember.

In Figures l and 6, the end plate 20 of the tank 13 .is .seen to beprovided with holes 21 by means of which the end plate 20 is connectedby bolts 21 to the side walls 12.

The holes 1S of the plate member 17 are to be drilled in the platemember 17, so as to be in registry with the holes 21 in the end plate20. While here shown is a square or rectangular tank having straightwalls 12 and a rectangular end plate 20, it is intended that the presentinvention may be used with round or oval tanks as well, in which casethe holes 18 would be set on the proper curvature, so as to registerwith the holes 21, the end of the plate member 17 obviously being formedwith the proper curvature also.

The one leg 11 of the L-shaped member of the present invention isprovided with a plurality of sockets 22 spaced along its free end andwith a socket 22 disposed centrally of the one leg 11, as shown mostclearly in Figures 1 and 2.

Anchor means in the form of the upstanding lugs 23 are provided in theplate member to pivotally receive the transversely arranged bars 24welded or otherwise secured to the ends of the one bolt 25 of theturnbuckle bolt as semblies indicated generally by the reference numeral26.

The other end 27 of the bolt portion of the turnbuckle bolt assembly 26is received in the socket 22. Another socket 2S is secured to the platemember midway between each of the anchor means, and although not shownin either of the views showing the assembly in installation of thepresent invention, a shorter turnbuckle bolt assembly may be received by,its ends in each of the sockets 22 and 2S. Bolts 29 provided with nuts30 secure the plate member to the other leg of the L-shaped member afterthey have been assembled upon the chime structure 14 with the gasketmaterial indicated by the reference numeral 31 in Figure l interposedbetween the one leg 11 and the side walls 12 of the tank 13.

It is to be understood that the gasket material 31 forms a sealing meansand overlies the break or hole indicated by the reference numeral 32 inFigure l for the purpose of sealing the tank 13 against escape ofliquids therefrom.

In the assembly of the present invention on the side of the tank 13, thenuts 33 which are used with the bolts 21 to secure the side walls 12 tothe end plate 20 are removed, and the bolts are removed from the holesprovided, the L-shaped member is then placed with its one leg 11 inabutting relation to the wall 12 and overlying the gasket material 31which extends down and is interposed also between the other leg 15 andthe chime structure 14.

The other leg 15 of the L-shaped member 10 is then adjusted toward thetank 13, the slotted apertures 16 permitting movement relative to thechime structure to form a tight connection of the one leg 11 against thewall 12 before clamping of the plate member 17 to the one leg 15. Thenuts 30 are then tightened on the bolts 29 to secure these elements intight relationship and the nuts 33 are tightened on the bolts 21' tosecure the assembled device to the chime structure. The turn-buckle boltassembly 26 is then connected between the sockets 22 and the anchormeans 23 and the ends 25 and 27 of the turnbuckle bolt assembly 26 arethen forced away from each other in extended relation to force the oneleg 11 into abutting leakproof relation with respect to the side wall12, the gasket 31 forming a sealing means therebetween.

As shown in Figure 3, if the present inventionwere applied to a curvedtank, thel one leg 11 of the L-shaped memberof the present inventionwould have a curvature greater or lesser than the curve indicated by thedotted line 11" and the holes 18 would be disposed upon a line indicatedby the dotted line 18.

rl"he invention may be embodied' in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Thepresent embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in alll respects asillustrative and. not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

l. For use with a tank having a side wall and an end plate connectedtogether by bolts extending through bolt holes in a chime structureformed by the side wall and the edge of the plate, a device for closingleak holes in said wall comprising an L-shaped member having one legadapted to overlie said wall over the leak hole therein and having theother leg provided with a plurality of slotted apertures extending alongand adjacent the end contiguous to said one leg and with slotted spacedapertures extending along and adjacent the end remote from said one leg,a plate member disposed in confronting face to face relation wit-hrespect to said other leg, said plate member being provided with aplurality of apertures extending along and adjacent the end contiguousto said one leg of said L-shaped member and with spaced aperturesextending along and 'adjacent the end remote from said one leg of saidL-shaped member, the plurality of apertures of said plate memberextending along the end contiguous to said one leg of said L-shapedmember and the slotted apertures of said other leg extending along andadjacent the end contiguous to said one legV being in registry with saidbolt holes and surroundingly receiving said bolts with the apertures ofsaid plate member extending along and adjacent the end remote from saidone leg of said L-shaped member being in registry with the slottedapertures of said other leg extending along and adjacent the end remotefrom said one leg of said L-shaped member, bolts extending through theregistering slotted apertures and apertures of said other leg of saidL-shaped member .and said plate member, respectively, and securing saidother leg to said plate member, sealing means interposed between saidone leg of said L-shaped member and said wall, and extensile meanshaving one end connected to said one leg of said L-shaped memberadjacent the free end thereof and having its other end pivotallyconnected to said plate member adjacent the end remote from said one legof said L-shaped member for forcing said one leg of said L-sh-apedmember into leakproof abutting relation with respect to said wall.

2. For use with a tank having a side wall and an end plate connectedtogether by bolts extending through bolt holes in a chime structureformed by the side wall and the edge of the plate, a device for closinglea-k holes in said wall comprising an L-'shaped member having one legadapted to overlic said wall over the leak hole therein and having theother leg provided with a plurality of slotted apertures extending alongand adjacent the end contiguous to said one` leg and with slotted spacedapertures extending along and adjacent the end remote from said one leg,a plate member disposed in confronting face to face relation withrespect to said other leg, said plate member being provided with aplurality of apertures extending along and adjacent the end contiguousto, Said one leg of said L-shaped member and with spaced aperturesextending along and' adjacent the end remote from said one leg of saidL-shaped member, the plurality of apertures of said plate memberextending along the end contiguous to said one leg of said L-shapedmember and the slotted apertures of said other leg extending along andadjacent the end contiguous to said one leg being in registry with saidbolt holes and surroundingly receiving said bolts with the apertures ofsaid plate member extending along and adjacent the end remote from saidone leg of said L-shaped member being` in registry with the slottedapertures of said other leg extending along and adjacent the end remotefrom said one leg of said L-shaped member, bolts extending through theregistering slotted apertures and apertures of said other leg of saidL-shaped member and said plate member, respectively, and securing saidother leg to said plate member, connected sealing means interposedbetween said one leg and said wall and between said other leg and saidstructure, socket means carried by said one leg` adjacent the free endthereof, and extensile means having one end received in said socketmeans and being pivotally connected by the other end to said platemember adjacent the end remote from said one leg of said L-shaped memberfor forcing said one leg of said L-'shaped member into leakproofabutting relation with respect to said wall.

3. For use with a tank having a side wall and an end plate connectedtogether by bolts extending through bolt holes in a chime structureformed by the side Wall and the edge of the plate, a device for closingVleak holes in said wall compris-ing an L-shaped member having one legadapted to overlie said wall over the leak hole therein and having theother leg provided with a plurality of slotted apertures extending alongand adjacent the end contiguous to said one leg and with slotted spacedapertures extending along and adjacent the end remote from said one leg,a plate member disposed in confronting face to face relation withrespect to said other leg, said plate member being provided with aplurality of apertures extending along and adjacent the end contiguoustosaid one leg of said L-shaped member and with spaced aperturesextending along and adjacent the end remote from said one leg of saidL-shaped member, the plurality of apertures of said plate memberextending along the end contiguous to said one leg of said L-shapedmember and the slotted apertures of said other leg extending along andadjacent the end contiguous to said one leg being in registry with saidbolt holes and surroundingly receiving said bolts with the apertures ofsaid plate member extending along and adjacent the end remote from saidone leg of said L-shaped member being in registry with the slottedapertures of said other leg extending along and adjacent the end remotefrom said one leg of said L-shaped member, bolts extending through theregistering slotted apertures and apertures of said other leg of saidL.-shfaped member and said plate member, respectively,y and securingsaid other leg to said plate. member, connected sealing means interposedbetween said oney leg of' said L-shaped member and said w-all andbetween said other leg and said structure, a plurality of socketscarried by said one leg adjacent to the free end thereof, anchor `meanscarried by said plate member adjacent the end remote from said one legof said L-shaped member, and a turnbuckle bolt assembly pivotallyconnected by one end to each of said anchor means and being reccivablyengaged by the other end in the adjacent one of said sockets for forcingsaid one leg of said L-shaped member into leakproof abutting relationwith said wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

